Quite possibly the region that wine was first drunk (or close to it), Israel is not on the top of most lists for best wine regions. In fact, the conditions in the country are perfect for growing grapes, but reasons such as money, inexperience and apathy have kept the area from becoming a world-recognized wine region. That said, Israel makes some top-notch wines and the amount of vine area and quality wine production continues to increase.

Notable Facts

In the late 1800's, Baron Edmond de Rothschild gave a generous donation to wine making in Israel. He also sent over some French grapes, including Carignan, Chenin Blanc and Muscat. These grapes are found growing throughout the country. There are five main regions in Israel, the two best known being Galilee and Samaria. The region with the most wineries and wine potential is Galilee. Within Galilee lies Golan Heights, both a sub-region and a company. As a sub-region, Golan Heights has perfect altitude and soils to grow international varieties and the wines coming out of the region are excellent. As a company, Golan Heights exports the most wine out of Israel including Yarden, Gamla and Golan. Other notable producers include Recanati, Tishbi and Barkan. These producers are making wines that are dry, complex and high-quality.